Two stakes for both Virginia-bred/sired & Maryland-bred/sired horses highlight opening weekend festivities in New Kent
Dream Big Racing’s Winfinity captured the $125,000 Miss Disco Stakes for three-year-old fillies at Colonial Downs Saturday, just before a thunderstorm rolled into the New Kent track and triggered a thirty-minute delay. She finished the 7-furlong dirt stakes, which was open to both Virginia-bred/sired & Maryland-bred/sired sophomores, in 1:21.22.
The daughter of Not This Time had done well at Colonial previously. She won the Keswick Stakes for Virginia-Restricted horses last August then finished second by half a length in an allowance earlier this year at the three-day Virginia Derby meet in March. 2024 riding champ Ben Curtis was up top for trainer John Ortiz today. The winner was bred by Ann Mudge Backer/Smitten Farm.
Winfnity got away fifth in the five-horse field and by the half, moved into fourth as Conquerthosewecan set the pace. At the top of the stretch, Grayson’s Girl took over the lead while Winfinity began to threaten on the outside. Winfinity surged past the leader in deep stretch and at the wire, was 2 3/4 lengths the best. John Middleton’s Grayson’s Girl held on for second and Original 6 Stables’ Moon Cache came on for third.
“Winfinity loves this track,” said owner John Wade of Dream Big Racing, LLC.. “She won her first stakes last year then got injured at another track and came back here and did great. We were excited to see her today. She did what she always does. She stays in there, then she closes and makes it exciting and makes my heart pound a little extra more. Ben (Curtis) was perfect. We asked him to keep her close, not bring her up to the front, and don’t worry about the speed. As soon as she came around the turn, he let her loose and gave her the perfect ride, a clear path the whole way.”
Eric Rizer’s consistent Maryland-bred Slam Notion prevailed in the $125,000 Star de Naskra Stakes for trainer Rob Bailes under drizzly conditions. The 3-year-old Great Notion gelding won for the fourth time in eight starts, all but one of which have come on dirt. Saturday’s race was at 7 dirt furlongs. J.G. Torrealba was in the irons and rode for the seventh straight time.
Saxton and Re Markably traded leads through the first three parts of the race before Slam Motion took control at the top of the stretch, opened up and won by two lengths in 1:21.44. Barbadian Runner took second and Re Markably was third.
“J.G. gave him a great ride, said Bailes. “We asked him to be close on the outside and keep him clear, keep him subtle. J.G. followed through and did what he was supposed to do. He didn’t get the greatest trip last time out on Preakness day but everything worked out today.”
“We knew we had a tough horse coming into the race,” said Rizer, who bred the horse with his wife Nancy. “He was really, really sharp and very relaxed. J.G. gave us a beautiful ride. He knew Sheldon (Russell) was going to slow things down on the front with Saxton which left us a lot of horse at the end. Slam Motion doesn’t waste anything in the paddock or in the barn and just saves it for the right moment. He has such a kind, easy manner.”